The present invention relates to muzzle loading firearms and, more particularly, to breech plugs which adapt the firearm to utilize percussion caps as the ignition means.
As is well known, percussion caps are preferred for ignition of the black powder charge in muzzle loading firearms, and various types of nipples using such caps have been developed. With the increasing use of inline firing systems because of better ignition characteristics, there has been a move to use primer or percussion caps in breech plugs providing such an inline firing system. Shotgun shell primer caps have been considered highly advantageous for use in such inline ignition systems.
There have been a number of breech plug constructions to adapt the muzzle loading firearm to use a primer cap which is detonated by a firing pin. The hot gases from the detonated primer cap travel in a passage through the plug to ignite the black powder at the barrel end of the breech plug. Exemplary of such structures are those illustrated in Carron U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,677 granted Apr. 30, 1991; Mahn et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,776 granted Apr. 25, 1995; and Osborne et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,232 granted Jan. 30, 1996.
The problems encountered in such breech plug adapters have included (i) holding the primer cap in the plug, (ii) expansion or deformation of the casing of the cap by the hot gases so as to make it difficult to remove from the plug, and (iii) contamination of the firing mechanism by the particles in the exhaust gases. Although it is necessary that the cap be securely seated in the plug, it is also necessary to be able to extract it readily from the plug.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel breech plug adapter for seating firing caps in an inline firing system for a muzzle loading firearm.
It is also an object to provide such a breech plug adapter which may be fabricated readily and relatively economically.
Another object is to provide such a breech plug adapter which seats the firing cap securely but avoids a tight friction fit which would make removal difficult upon expansion or deformation of the casing of the cap.
A further object is to provide such a breech plug adapter which diverts a substantial portion of the exhaust gases radially to the periphery of the plug to minimize distorting pressures on the casing of the cap and contamination of the bolt or other firing assembly.